Automa vs n8n
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted automation & workflows options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Automa
Browser automation via drag-and-drop visual workflows
VS
n8n
Workflow automation with a node-based editor
| Feature | Automa | n8n |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Automation & Workflows | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | Sustainable Use License |
| Language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,543 | ★ 199,764 |
| First released | 2021 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Zapier, UiPath | Zapier, Make |
Why pick each one
Choose Automa if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 21.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Vue
Frequently asked questions
Is Automa or n8n better?
Neither is universally better. n8n has the larger community, while Automa is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Automa and n8n free and open-source?
Yes. Automa is licensed under MIT and n8n under Sustainable Use License. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Automa and n8n with Docker?
Automa: check the project docs for container support. n8n: yes.